Screening for Lung Cancer in India: Expert Opinion Statement.

Lung cancer (LC) has the highest rate of disability-adjusted life years (DALY) of all cancers in India. A large majority of patients with LC present with advanced disease, resulting in poor survival rates. Early diagnosis can improve survival outcomes as the patients can be treated with curative intent.

Bone health in ambulatory male patients with chronic obstructive airway disease - A case control study from India.

Objective: Chronic obstructive airway disease (COPD) is characterized by airflow limitation due to airway and/or alveolar abnormalities with significant extra-pulmonary manifestations. Bone health impairment is an extra-pulmonary complication of COPD which is less well studied in India. Moreover, it can contribute to significant morbidity and mortality.

Atrial depolarization abnormalities in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Background: Cardiac sarcoidosis, often manifested as sudden death, can be the first manifestation of sarcoidosis. Since 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is recommended as an initial screening tool for cardiac sarcoidosis, the recognition of subtle abnormalities assumes utmost significance. The objective of this study was to identify the electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Single Dose of Ivermectin is not Useful in Patients with Hematological Disorders and COVID-19 Illness: A Phase II B Open Labelled Randomized Controlled Trial.

Repurposed drugs may reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with hematological disorders who develop COVID-19 illness. 112 patients with predominantly hematological illnesses were randomized to receive standard of care, ivermectin 12 mg [Iv 12] or 24 mg [Iv24] for asymptomatic, mild, or moderate COVID 19 illness. Serial respiratory samples for rRT-PCR samples were sent on Day 3, 5 and 7.

Good survival rate, moderate overall and good respirator quality of life, near normal pulmonary functions, and good return to work despite catastrophic economic costs 6 months following recovery from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Introduction: Long-term quality of life, return to work, economic consequences following Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) are not well described in India. This study was aimed to address the question.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 109 ARDS survivors were followed up for a minimum of 6 months following discharge.

Rare cause of paradoxical worsening of pleural effusion in a patient with tuberculosis.

A 33-year-old patient, Known case of chronic kidney disease on maintenance dialysis presented with complaints of low-grade fever and weight loss of 2 months duration. Computed tomography (CT) revealed bilateral mild pleural effusion with significant mediastinal and abdominal adenopathy. CT-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology of abdominal lymph nodes and bone marrow culture was suggestive of tuberculosis.

Prevalence of Hepatotoxicity From Antituberculosis Therapy: A Five-Year Experience From South India.

Background: Antituberculosis (ATT) drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a common and serious adverse effect of tuberculosis (TB) treatment. This retrospective study was carried out to study the prevalence of DILI among patients who had received anti-TB medications and to study some of the known risk factors responsible for causing DILI.

Materials And Methods: This longitudinal descriptive study was performed to evaluate cases of DILI with predefined criteria.

Disseminated Salmonella Infection Coexisting with Thymoma.

A 21-year-old boy presented with high grade fever, diffuse chest pain and exertional breathlessness of one month duration. Radiologically he had a large lobulated anterior mediastinal mass with necrotic thick enhancing septaes. Histopathology of the mass was suggestive of thymoma and culture from the necrotic aspirate yielded Salmonella typhi.

Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Bronchial Asthma: Joint Recommendations of National College of Chest Physicians (India) and Indian Chest Society.

Bronchial asthma is an important public health problem in India with significant morbidity. Several international guidelines for diagnosis and management of asthma are available, however there is a need for country-specific guidelines due to vast differences in availability and affordability of health-care facilities across the globe. The Indian Chest Society (ICS) and the National College of Chest Physicians (NCCP) of India have collaborated to develop evidence-based guidelines with an aim to assist physicians at all levels of health-care in diagnosis and management of asthma in a scientific manner.

Challenges in the development of an immunochromatographic interferon-gamma test for diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis.

Existing diagnostic tests for pleural tuberculosis (TB) have inadequate accuracy and/or turnaround time. Interferon-gamma (IFNg) has been identified in many studies as a biomarker for pleural TB. Our objective was to develop a lateral flow, immunochromatographic test (ICT) based on this biomarker and to evaluate the test in a clinical cohort.

Endobronchial rhinosporidiosis.

Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic granulomatous disease caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi. We report a rare case of rhinosporidiosis, with involvement of the skin, nasal cavity, larynx, oropharynx, and the bronchial tree. The patient underwent bronchoscopic electrocautery excision of the endobronchial lesion with good symptomatic improvement.

Endobronchial pulmonary cryptococcosis and tuberculosis in an immunocompetent host.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis presenting as an endobronchial tumour-like growth has rarely been described. We report the case of a male patient with normal immune function who presented with a right upper lobe mass lesion. Bronchoscopy revealed a tumour-like growth that completely occluded the anterior segment of the right upper lobe bronchus.

Evaluation of the diagnostic yield and safety of closed pleural biopsy in the diagnosis of pleural effusion.

Aim: To assess the diagnostic yield and safety of closed pleural biopsy in patients with pleural effusion.

Methods: In all, 48 consecutive cases of pleural effusion were evaluated with complete pleural fluid biochemical and microbiological analysis, cytology, routine bacterial and mycobacterial cultures. In all these 48 cases of pleural effusion closed pleural biopsy was done with tru-cut biopsy needle and biopsy samples were sent for histopathology and mycobacterial culture.

Endotracheal tuberculous stenosis: ventilation rescue and bronchography guided stenting.

We present the case of a 16-year-old female patient who presented with dyspnoea, cough and noisy breathing that progressed further in hospital with the development of stridor and severe respiratory compromise requiring mechanical ventilatory support. Investigations were consistent with a diagnosis of endotracheal tuberculosis with tracheal and bronchial stenosis. Despite adequate anti-tuberculous therapy and ventilation the patient had high airway pressures, low tidal volumes and hypercapnia, which prevented weaning from mechanical ventilation.

Endobronchial ultrasound: A new innovation in bronchoscopy.

Technical development in last two decades has made it possible for pulmonologists to do endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS). With EBUS mini-probe, the multilayered structure of the tracheobronchial wall can be analyzed better than any other imaging modality. Instead of fluoroscopic guided biopsy, EBUS can be used to biopsy peripheral lesions.

Clinico-pathologic study of pulmonary carcinoid tumours--a retrospective analysis and review of literature.

Objective: To determine the characteristic clinico-pathologic features of pulmonary carcinoid tumours in India.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of the clinico-pathologic and radiologic data of patients with pulmonary carcinoid tumours from the department of Pulmonary Medicine of the Christian Medical College, a tertiary care teaching hospital in Southern India, over a study period of 3 years (2001-2004).

Results: There were 25 cases of pulmonary carcinoid tumours: typical 22 (88%) and atypical 3 (12%).

Inflammatory cytokine levels in induced sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Background: The immune inflammatory process in patients with sarcoidosis is not only compartmentalized within the alveolar walls, but also involves the bronchial airways. Analysis of induced sputum has been used as a non-invasive tool for investigating the airways and may reflect the endobronchial and parenchymal inflammation in patients with sarcoidosis. This present study was designed to measure the soluble pro-inflammatory cytokine levels interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumuor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and percentage of macrophages expressing these cytokines in induced sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is being more frequently diagnosed in India, due to its increased awareness, better availability of computed tomography (CT) and fiberoptic bronchoscopy. IPF has the histological appearance of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) on surgical lung biopsy. Recent research has given a new insight into the etiology of the disease.